Itching
by ProxyEdgy
Summary: Terumi isn't very happy with his new body, so he goes to bother Relius about it.


_Oh, hello, ProxyEdgy here just passing by with the usual reminder that Blazblue belongs to Arc System Works and I'm just borrowing it for a moment. _

_I swear this was supposed to be romance but I am clearly not a romantic person at all. My bad. I hope it's still enjoyable despite that.  
_

_Also, as per yaoi law, please remember to put a little Ouroboros censor over the naked parts._

* * *

Relius Clover was in his office, going through his bookcase. He'd take out a book, go through a few pages with a seemingly bored expression and then carefully place the object back on the shelf. To any outside observer, it was a pointless and aimless act, something very much unexpected from the Engineering Colonel.

Of course, Relius didn't care about what anyone else thought of him. Right now, he was having a break, and wanted to find a topic to occupy his mind with. With so many options, something was sure to stir his curiosity.

And so he continued that endless search with the repetitive movement of taking a book off the shelf, browsing a few pages, then putting it back where it belonged.

Taking a book off the shelf, browsing some pages, then putting it back. Taking a book off, browsing some pages, then—

His precious moment was short-lived as the door to the room was suddenly kicked open. "_Relius_." The presence that shattered the peaceful quietness was a lean shady man that hid most of himself under a hooded yellow cloak. "This body's broken. I want a new one."

The masked man finished reading that particular page, closed the book in his hand and placed it back on the bookcase. Only then he cared to glance at the one who intruded in his office. "It has barely been three hours since you left suspension, Terumi. I assure you there's nothing wrong with your new body."

"Yes _there __**is**_." The lean man held Relius' arm tightly to stop him from taking another book out of the shelf. "And it's _your_ fault, so you either _fix it_ or give me a _new_ one."

A deep sigh escaped Relius Clover's lips. The Colonel was well aware he wouldn't get any peace of mind unless he yielded to the other's wishes. Yuuki Terumi was this kind of self-centred person, after all. "Let's have another check-up, then." He begrudgingly agreed, releasing himself from the hooded man's grip and slowly making his way to the deeper room, his laboratory.

Terumi followed right behind, not a single word of gratefulness ever to leave his toothy mouth.

When they arrived, the smaller male was quick to jump on the examination table and undress himself. It wasn't exactly an unusual scene, but the absence of Hazama as a mediator between the physical body and the mind of the ghost was new to this setting. And Terumi was the one who felt it the most, as he just awkwardly glanced at Relius for a while, forgetting the fact he was supposed to explain what was wrong.

"The problem's in the back. Like, _here_." He gestured far too broadly and carelessly for someone who wanted his own body fixed so badly. "I can't _see_ what's wrong but it's annoying the hell out of me."

With a nod and not much else, Relius Clover awaited. A few moments passed by until he realized Terumi had no intention of turning around. "I need you to show me your back."

"Go around the damn table, then." Terumi snapped right back at him. "Why should_ I_ have to move?"

"Because fixing your body is your best interest." Relius replied in a cold tone, but soon realized it wouldn't be enough to move bratty man, neither figuratively nor literally. "And moving my tools all the way around would be a hassle."

Terumi still eyed him without a single care. The Colonel adjusted his mask. He was not feeling up to this little game today.

"You want this over as fast as possible, right? Then _cooperate_."

The demand was met with seriousness for once. Terumi stubbornly turned around and scowled at the opposite wall. "Just get this over with."

Ignoring that rebellious attitude, Relius Clover began to work right away. He meticulously analysed every part of the other's back, from the skin to the muscular composition underneath. Terumi's new body was very much inhuman, even more so than Hazama's, but Relius knew of its structure thoroughly. If there was something wrong with it, he was surely the person that could pinpoint the issue. More importantly, he was the only one that could fix it before it became a problem.

With all of that being said… "There is nothing wrong."

"Of course there _is_, you dumbass. You went over it at least _four times_!" Terumi shouted, turning around to glare daggers at the Colonel. "How can't you _see it_? It's right _there!_"

"Your broad gestures aren't helping in the slightest, Terumi." Relius replied in his usual way, not at all moved by the other man's fiery display of emotions. Terumi growled at him through his teeth in a very childish manner, cursing the masked man under his breath. "If you can waste your breath with name-calling, how about trying to explain what you think is wrong."

"What for? You're not gonna give a damn either way." The naked man kicked the air as if it had personally offended him. "Can't even find the damn thing that's _crawling under my skin_. Fine, who _cares_. If I have to claw myself, _so be it_. I'll just have Ouroboros bite me a few times and get this over with…"

Relius stopped Terumi before the man could get off the table. The ghostly being was not amused by the act.

"_What __**now**__?_" Terumi snarled, teeth bared in a warning.

The Colonel ignored this silly display of irritation. "Please elaborate on that statement." Relius Clover asked slowly, his mind wandering through the possible sources of such an issue. "About your skin." He quickly added before Terumi could darkly explain in detail how to use his Nox Nyctores to tear a body apart.

"If you can't find the problem, why do _I_ have to tell you?"

This kind of stubbornness was hardly believable, let alone tolerable, and anyone else would have been driven off Relius Clover's laboratory for much less. The sole reason Relius didn't immediately give up on the situation altogether was because he knew Terumi well enough. The other would prove to be a much greater nuisance if he didn't get his way.

And so, Relius Clover awaited, merely gazing at the man in silence. "Heh? Giving me the cold shoulder now? Geez, you're such _great_ help."

"Either elaborate on your problem or stop wasting my time, Terumi. I have better things to do."

"Have you now? When I got here you looked bored as hell going through your silly books, though."

While it is true that any person with a pair of working eyes could reach the same conclusion, to have Terumi describe it this way was, in all honesty, insulting. If it weren't for Relius Clover's scientific pursuit, of which sparks of brilliance came from innocuous curiosity of all kinds, the ghost would frankly not even be there right now. For all the other had built upon in this world, it was over the foundation that Relius had helped to establish.

It was him '_going through his silly books_', as Terumi put it. "Oh well, I guess even _you_ must get rusty sometimes. You're just _human_, after all." The man said with a mocking smile.

That was it. Having had enough of Terumi's cheekiness, Relius Clover turned around and walked away. He did not glance back as he exited the laboratory, and the ghostly being did not call for him to return.

As the Engineering Colonel found himself back in his office, he spared a thought at his bookcase before deciding it was better to entertain himself with something else. Instead, he took out some of his puppet hands and started tinkering with them.

He was about halfway through rebuilding the sixth one when the door was once again kicked open and Terumi, fully clothed, waltzed back in. "You really _left me all_ _alone_ in there?!"

Relius Clover didn't lift his head until he was finished fastening that particular screw, and even then it was merely a brief look before he returned to his mechanical creation. "I told you, I have better things to do than listening to your unhelpful remarks."

"I was just _joking_ a little! You know, to _lighten_ the damn mood!" Terumi took the screwdriver out of Relius' hands and threw it carelessly over the desk. "Why are you so damn _boring_, you stuck-up?! What's your goddamn problem!"

Relius merely took out another screwdriver from his pocket, which Terumi immediately got a hold of and angrily threw away. It fell off the desk and hit the floor with a sharp noise, rolling away until it hit the opposite wall.

There was a moment of silence before Relius Clover lifted his head to glare at Terumi through his mask. In spite of everything, his voice came out calm. "You barge into my office, interrupt me twice and then berates me when I can't pinpoint your imaginary problem. What did you expect to happen?"

"I expected you to _fix me_, like you always do!" Terumi slammed the desk to make his point, which wasn't helpful to his situation in the slightest. "But _**no**_, instead you're being a jerk just because I stopped you from rearranging the damn bookcase for the millionth time! If you'd rather have me with a broken body, why even bother _pretending to care _in the first place?!"

"Your body isn't broken. It's as perfectly fine as it could possibly be." Relius stated loud and clear, as if these words would magically make all of the other man's troubles disappear.

They didn't. "My body _isn't fine_!" Terumi shouted, far too angry for any rational thought, and kicked the desk. The object shook, and a handful of loose screws rolled over and fell. "But I _guess_ I can't come to _you_ about my problems, since you _don't give a damn_."

Hands back in his pockets, this time it was Terumi who turned around to leave. Relius Clover leaned over from his chair and got his screwdriver and screws back. He returned to his activities as if nobody had interrupted him.

"I can't help if you refuse to say what the problem is." He muttered, half-expecting Terumi not to hear him.

At this point, the other man was at the door. Terumi stopped on his tracks, slammed the door shut and turned back to Relius, face reddened from pure anger. "You should _know_ what the damn problem is! You _made_ this shitty body I have to stay in!"

"Partially." It was one of the few times Relius Clover had to give merit to someone else's work. "I made Hazama. Your current body is modelled after him, but you and I both know it was _their_ doing." He dared not to name anyone, for Terumi's mood was sure to get worse otherwise.

"Still, you should _know_!"

Relius straightened himself and stared deeply into Terumi's sorry excuse of a soul. The dreary, vicious blackness spiralled with the power of all the hate his enemies felt for him. It was a vile little thing, an abyss that could only see the extent of itself and nothing beyond. Relius Clover sighed and let his own feelings fade away, lest he feed the dark that would eventually consume him as well.

"Terumi." He called out as softly as he could. "I _don't_ know what it is. I can theorize about it, but I need more information, and your body isn't giving me any. That's why I need you to _talk_."

"I don't _want_ to talk!" The ghost replied, unable to hide the unwanted feelings that came with this fact. As Relius was deeply focused on Terumi's soul this time, he saw it clearly. The emotions surfacing from the black ocean: uncertainty, fear, disgust.

_Weakness_.

My, what a situation. Relius Clover couldn't stop a small smile from curving his lips. Terumi noticed the fact, and his anger won him over. He walked straight to Relius, pulling out his butterfly knife and pointing it at the Colonel in a warning.

"Don't you dare _**laugh**_ at me."

"I wasn't planning on doing so." Relius replied, his smile broadening. The small blade came to touch his neck, but the Colonel did not care to push it away. "If you kill me now, Terumi, there will be no one to take care of your body." He stated, matter-of-factly.

"I don't _need_ you." The snake hissed, fangs bared and ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Despite this stance, however, Relius Clover could still see how Terumi's eyes hesitated. How the other was unwilling to go through with the act, the way his best interests conflicted with his anger and need for immediate payoff. It was a nice little scene to behold, and Relius was thoroughly enjoying every second of it.

To see a God bested by mere human weaknesses was an oddly satisfying sight. "You need me, Terumi." The Colonel replied with his polite tone. "Just as much as I still need you."

At first, the words had no effect. Terumi needed time to begrudgingly accept their value. Very slowly, the butterfly knife was lowered, closed and pocketed. Hiding his hands inside his pockets, the lean man withdrew a little, still glowering at Relius from the shadow of his hood. His yellow eyes held a glint of doubt under the distrust.

It was funny to see how, just like any human, Terumi _could_ be swayed through words. Of course, it depended on the intentions of the speaker, and the snake had to be in a very vulnerable situation, so it was quite a rare sight.

Relius Clover sighed and let go of his enjoyment, returning to the cold void of his own isolated soul. "I need you to explain the feeling you have about your back."

Still somewhat hesitant, Terumi turned his eyes away and clicked his tongue. "It's… like I said, it's like there's something crawling on it. Like a bug or something." He bit his lower lip. "It kinda moves and it's annoying. I feel like throwing myself at the wall."

Now, that was some useful information that could have been given a long time ago, if only someone wasn't being stubborn about his troubles. Still, at least the conversation was finally going somewhere now. "Is this your only problem, or are you feeling uncomfortable about anything else?"

"Huh…" Terumi's shoulders dropped. He tapped his foot a little before shrugging with a small angry sigh. "_Everything_?"

At least it was an honest answer. No matter how strong Yuuki Terumi thought he was, it just made sense that being materialized against his will was taking a toll on the ghost's mind.

Relius Clover got up from his chair. "Undress your upper body, if you please."

Terumi didn't react right away. He only did as he was told after the Colonel walked around the desk and stopped right by his side. The yellow cloak, the black vest, the white shirt and the loose tie were all thrown to the floor with little care. "What are you gonna—"

Terumi quieted down the moment Relius' gloved fingers touched his skin. He stood completely still, even his breathing barely moving his chest.

It was somewhat easy to feel his body's uneven heartbeat, the pulsing of life streaming through the discernible veins under his very pale skin. "I'll run my fingers down your back. Tell me where the feeling is."

"Okay…" Terumi mumbled, suddenly meek. Relius Clover started moving his hands, as slow as he could manage, and soon enough… "There." He stopped still. Terumi's anticipation and mistrust weighted in the air as the partially-naked man turned his head to gaze at the Colonel. "It's right there. You know what it is?"

Relius wanted to give a definitive answer, but it was nice to see how desperate Terumi was becoming. He knew he couldn't push it too much, though. "To be sure, I need to try something first." Relius Clover replied, taking off his glove.

The cold of Terumi's body was discordant with Relius' warm fingertips. Slowly, the Colonel scratched the pale skin, watching as it quickly gained red lines. He was very careful not to use his fingernails, as they could damage the body.

A strange, strangled sound came from deep inside Terumi's throat. "What are you doing?" Despite the visible discomfort, the other showed some signs of relief.

"I am scratching your back."

"That's _not_ how you scratch something." Terumi was quick to reply. "You're supposed to use your nails to claw out the skin. And you're not even pushing your fingers with enough strength." As he explained, there was clear contempt in his tone. "It's like you're not ever _trying_ to make it hurt."

"I am not, actually." Relius replied with a small smile.

The other man didn't like the Colonel's expression one bit. "Why are you doing this shit, then?"

"Because…" Relius still elongated the moment as much as he could get away with. He wanted to observe the other's reaction in detail. "Your skin was itching."

It was a pleasure to watch as Terumi's pale face slowly gained a shade of red, this time out of sheer embarrassment.

"The air is a little dry, so it's quite a natural reaction." Relius couldn't fully hold back his mocking tone.

In a predictable manner, Terumi immediately pulled the knives out of his pockets and attacked. Relius Clover stopped him by getting a hold of his wrists. Terumi didn't stop there, instead attempting to trip his opponent with a low kick. The new and improved puppet hands pushed him away with one swift movement of Relius' hand.

"You _do_ know what itching is, right, Terumi?" Relius Clover taunted the ghost.

"_Yes_ I _fucking know_ what itching _is_." Terumi growled through his teeth, still pent up from anger but taking a step back. Without the cloak to hide him, his scarred torso and lean proportions gave the man a much less threatening appearance.

He was clearly plotting something. A little curious about how exactly Terumi intended to win, Relius allowed the ghost some time. Soon enough, the other dashed at him, slashing the air with his knives. Relius Clover easily dodged the attack.

He snapped his fingers. "Ignis!"

Without making a sound, the delicate presence appeared by his side. In one swift movement, the beautiful puppet grabbed Terumi by the neck and pinned him against the wall.

"Gh!" Terumi squirmed and hit the metal with his puny knives, trying to free himself. With one more gesture from Relius, Ignis smacked her opponent with her free hand, making the ghost drop his weapons. "Ugh…! Relius, _you_…!"

Relius Clover stood silently by Ignis' side, watching as Terumi tried in vain to escape from the puppet's sharp metallic grasp. The ghost struggled for quite some time, glaring at Relius with the wrath of a captured beast.

"Grr…" At this point, Terumi was trying to kick the wall behind him down, as if that would somehow free him from this predicament. "Relius, you _fucker_…! Are you _having fun_!? _Let me go_ _**already!**_"

The Puppeteer sighed. "You started this. You expected me to hold back?"

Despite his frustration, or maybe because of it, the ghost couldn't help himself but laugh. "Heh, you _can_ hold back? I thought it would _kill_ _you_ to _try_." Terumi mocked with a scornful grin. "_Always_ bringing out the damn puppet."

"You leave me little choice." Relius Clover took a step closer and snapped his fingers. Ignis' claws quickly pried open, letting Terumi fall to the floor. She then moved away and vanished in the air. "Have you cooled down? Or do I need to properly teach you manners, Terumi?"

"I'm cool, I'm cool." Terumi replied as he got up. He immediately tried to stab Relius with the knife he'd just got from the floor, but the Colonel was quick to react. With his puppet hands, he pinned Terumi against the wall by both arms and legs.

"That's enough for now."

"Ugh…" Terumi tried to struggle, but was soon out of breath. "Damn bastard…!"

"You become predictable when you are angry." Relius explained as he regulated the strength of his puppet hands' grasp. Despite the situation, he didn't want to hurt Terumi any more than he had to. Any serious damage would mean more work for him later, after all.

"It's not _my fault_ everything's going to shit!" Terumi was yet to calm down, and Relius had little idea what he could do about it. "You think I'm having _fun_ here!? You think I _**like**_ _being like __**this**_?"

That was quite an odd question. "It can't possibly be that bad."

"_Yeah_ it _is_! I'm not used to _feeling_ so goddamn much!" Terumi's hurt honesty was unexpected. "You think I cared about damn _itches_ before now?! _**Of course not!**_ This stuff was always for _Hazama-chan_ and _Kazuma-chan_ to deal with, not _me_!"

Relius felt he understood Terumi a little more. Truly, he never tried to comprehend the ghost's personality in detail. It was enough to know Terumi would act as he pleased and get things done in spite of all odds. But now, in this vulnerable state, the other was a little easier to figure out. His struggles felt more human, in a sense.

"I see."

Terumi sighed, lowering his head in defeat. "Can you let me go now?" He didn't even muster enough anger to threaten Relius. "I really don't wanna look at your stupid face anymore."

Relius Clover felt this was a good opportunity to conduct an experiment. He did get some data from Terumi's new form while the other was in suspension, but having the ghost awake to give feedback would surely be much better. "I believe I have a solution for your troubles, Terumi."

"What, you're gonna kick yourself in the butt so I don't have to?"

Relius ignored Terumi's comment. That the other was energetic enough for such childish jesting was nothing but a good sign. "There's a simple way of teaching you about your own body."

"Huh?" Terumi didn't look very ecstatic with the idea. Still, it picked his interest. "How so?"

The Puppeteer smiled as he released his new test subject from the metallic hands. "Let me experiment on you a little. The stimuli will help you understand your physiological processes better."

Standing on his two feet once more, Terumi put his hands in his pockets with a wary expression. He stared at Relius for a moment, coming to terms with the proposal. "Well, _fuck it_." He finally shrugged, showing his teeth in a joyless grin. "Can't get any worse than _this_."

* * *

That really wasn't as bad as Terumi expected. Knowing that damn masked pervert, he thought the experiment would involve much more pain than that, and yet… There was nothing worth of mention. It was mostly silly shit.

He got to feel up _all_ of this new body in more uncomfortable ways that one could care to count. Not a single corner left unchecked. In all honesty… Terumi was a bit surprised to realize most of his skin was soft. Like, meat-and-bones soft. He didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't something like this. He wasn't _supposed_ to have anything like this.

To compare this crap to his true form was laughable. This soft and pale skin, the perfect _human_ hands with no claws, the tiniest of teeth, the lack of, well, _everything else_… No, this was all _wrong_. And everything was so damn _soft_ too, it was _ridiculous_. Skin was not supposed to be this easy to stab and cut through.

Well, _his_ _skin_ was not supposed to be like that. "How many times must I tell you not to stare into the light?"

Terumi looked away from the miniature sun that hung over his head, watching the cloud-like shadows appear wherever he focused. "Stop being a stuck-up, man. What's the harm."

"You'll burn your retinas."

"So?"

"I'll be troublesome for me to fix it later."

Terumi turned his head to gaze at Relius for a bit. He wasn't sure how to feel about that whole situation. It just seemed… too light. It wasn't like the masked man at all to just try some harmless stuff and stop at that.

He had to prepare himself, but the more Terumi expected something bad to happen, the harder his expectations were crushed. That sense of security whenever it happened was such an odd feeling. Sure, Terumi had been safe for the entirety of his existence, save that one fight against the cat, but right now…

Right now, he wasn't safe. He could be hurt. He could be killed. And having Relius poke him around and make Terumi learn about how utterly vulnerable his new body currently was… Well, that was just _disturbing_.

"So, what's next?"

Relius didn't look at him. He was too busy with his computer. "Nothing. That pretty much covers all the basic stimuli. You're free to go."

"You're _kidding_, right?" Terumi refused to accept that for an answer. It couldn't be over yet. Where was the _pain_. "That can't be it. We barely did anything."

Relius finally cared enough to lift his head. "The point of this was for you to familiarize yourself with your new body, Terumi." He explained in the most uncaring of voices. "I believe that's enough information. Surely you can figure out the rest."

Yeah, no, there was definitely something else to this. Relius Clover was not this kind of person. He wouldn't do any of this crap without getting something out of it. "What's the catch, though?"

The masked man looked somewhat puzzled. It was always nice to see a different expression on his face. "There is none. That is all."

Terumi wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he could see that Relius had nothing else to add. A little bothered, he got up from the examination table, ready to put on his clothes and leave.

Then he noticed the mirror.

It was tall enough to reflect him whole, and far enough for the reflection to look like somebody else entirely. Terumi observed the image intently, burning every detail of this shape into his mind.

It was truly a puny little reflection of his real self, far too weak and _human_ for his liking. Looking at it without the clothes to properly hide under, there was nothing appealing to see. He lacked any real _threat_ to his presence.

And the scars were just a bad reminder overall. Terumi looked away, unpleased by what he saw. Relius was just getting up from his chair, and the ghost watched the masked man with a hint of curiosity.

Relius Clover sure looked better than him in that regard. They were almost the same height, but the masked man had a stronger, broader presence. Somewhat intimidating, while also not entirely unpleasant to look at. For a mere human, that is.

Hmm… But then, was it Relius' body that gave off this presence, or was it his choice of clothing? Maybe the masked man was just as weak-looking as Terumi now was, but the cut of the fabric was able to hide it well. Perhaps…

"Oi, Relius."

Relius Clover turned to Terumi, an inquisitive gaze coming through his mask. "Yes?"

"Take off your clothes."

As usual, Relius was slow as hell to react. Terumi couldn't even bother trying to read his expressionless face. He never got it right anyway. "Pardon?"

"You heard me. Take off your clothes."

"…_Why?_"

What the hell. Wasn't it just a simple request? Why was he being like that? Did it truly make a difference? Now Terumi just had to know what Relius looked like without any piece of fabric to hide his body under. Then, maybe, the ghost would feel a little better about his current situation. "Come on, just undress already."

"What _for_?"

Geez, what was his deal anyways? Did Terumi really have to explain every damn little thing? "I wanna see what you look like, so just take your damn clothes off."

There was some sort of reaction as Relius slowly adjusted his mask. "May we change locations first?"

"What? No. Why would we need to go anywhere else." That'd be just more of a hassle, wouldn't it? Besides, Terumi was already naked and the mirror was right there, so it was way easier to compare his reflection to Relius if they didn't move. "Come on, just do it."

The masked man didn't react right away, but he sighed after a while. At an agonizing half-dead snail's pace, Relius Clover took off his clothes. Firstly ungloving, he proceeded to take off his boots and his cape, unbutton his shirt and unzip his pants. Honestly, it was like seeing some lame moth getting out of its cocoon.

The sight made Terumi somewhat frustrated. Relius was less intimidating without his clothes, sure, but he still had the _presence_ the ghost was lacking. His shoulders were truly broad, and his body was overall bigger than Terumi's. He looked… really _nice_.

Come to think about it, that was the first time Terumi actually focused on how Relius looked like. He never really cared much before. There was no reason to do so. No basis to compare the man to anything of value.

The frustration faded away, but there was still a bothersome feeling left to poke the back of Terumi's mind. He sat back down on the examination table, trying to make some sense of it. It wasn't easy. He'd never felt something quite like this before.

It wasn't as if he'd lost a battle of some sort. It was just… Relius looked more like what Terumi wished he was like right now. Just a _little bit_, but enough to bother him.

Relius Clover approached the wavering ghost. The proximity just made Terumi focus even more on the masked man's body. He noticed a few scars spread all over, some smaller than others, but all surgically precise.

Huh, it looked like Relius wasn't above experimenting on his own body. So that's how it was. He'd _made_ himself look this way, even if just a little bit… "Terumi."

"Huh?" Before Terumi could properly react, Relius grabbed his face and pulled it closer to his own. Their mouths connected. "Hmm…!"

_**What the **__**hell!?**_ What was he…! Terumi's first instinct was to kick the masked man away, but he held himself back as he felt the intrusion in his mouth. Relius' tongue wasn't quite like his own, the tip of it was whole. It felt… It _tasted_ strange.

_What was going on…?_ Terumi wanted to pull away, but at the same time… Well, it was Relius. He didn't try anything _actually bad_ before, so why would he do it now? He didn't even have his stupid puppets with him right now. There was no real danger to this.

Besides, it was… good, in a sense. As their lips parted, Terumi couldn't bring himself to complain. "You damn _pervert_."

The grip of the other's hand on his jaw was somewhat gentle as well. "You're the one who started this." Relius replied, almost as if complaining.

Terumi started… what, exactly? He didn't remember doing anything in particular to tease the masked man. Besides, why the hell would he want to bring this upon himself? "The hell are you talking about."

Okay, they really _weren't_ on the same page. Relius let go of Terumi's face with a slightly puzzled expression. "Why did you want me to take off my clothes?"

Again with that? Wasn't Terumi clear enough the first goddamn time? "Because I wanted to _see what you looked like_."

"What for?"

"I don't _know_." Terumi complained, unwilling to admit how truly bothered he was by his situation. He felt he had to say a little more than that, though. "Just wanted to see if I look alright, I guess."

"Then why didn't you ask this of Hazama instead?"

Oh god, was Relius really going to probe him because of _that_? It was just _clothes_, man. What difference did they even make? It's not like the masked man _didn't_ see Terumi's previous bodies naked _a thousand times_ before.

"You're already here and I'm already naked. It just seemed _easier_."

Why was he staring so much? Their faces were too close for that, it was uncomfortable. "You're not someone who takes the easier path, Terumi."

Was this even a _compliment_? It sure as hell didn't feel like one. "So what. I felt like doing it once. _Big deal_."

"You're avoiding my gaze."

"You're way too close!" Terumi snarled back at him. For a boring stuck-up who liked playing with dolls, Relius Clover sure knew how to be an annoying jerk sometimes. "I wanted to see how _you_ looked like, okay? Not _Hazama-chan_, not _anybody else_, _**you**_."

There, he said it. There was no way the masked man could misunderstand it now. Was that enough? It'd better be, because Terumi sure as hell didn't plan on saying anything else.

Relius took hold of Terumi's chin and pulled him closer. Their gazes met.

Oh, _great_. Just _great_. He wanted a staring contest? Fine, Terumi was gonna give him a damn staring contest. He wasn't going to look anywhere else even if the goddamn _Master Unit_ _were to materialize_ _right in the middle of that __**stupid room**_…! "I'm flattered."

_What_.

"By _**what?**_"

"By your interest." Relius stated, as emotive as usual. "It's unusual of you to be curious about anyone else."

"I…" Damn, what could he even say? It was true, after all. Terumi held Relius' arm. He wanted to make the masked man let go of his chin, but didn't really try to push the other away. "Don't get full of yourself. It's not about _you_."

A small huff came from Relius' lips. "I know."

Was that a _laugh_? The masked man was smiling. What the hell was he smiling about, though, Terumi had no clue. He wanted to be angry, but that whole situation was just… weird. Like there was some small piece missing from his sight.

It was nerve-wrecking to deal with a situation like this. Without all the details, Terumi couldn't really react appropriately. He didn't know what to do or what to say. Hell, he wasn't sure how to _feel_.

Still, it was Relius. Just Relius. No puppets, no test subjects, just the two of them. Even though Terumi was in that unpleasant physical state, there was nothing here that could do him harm.

He was as safe as he could possibly be right now. He didn't need to make any assumptions. He could just ask. "Why did you _kiss_ me?"

The question came out quieter than Terumi expected. "I misunderstood your request." Relius Clover admitted in an equally soft tone.

"For what?"

There was a split-second where Relius seemed uncomfortable about answering. "For sexual gratification."

Oh. Wait, but Terumi… _Oh_. But, then…! "You thought _that_ was me trying to _seduce you_?"

Oh, _come on_, he was better than _that!_ Sure, he never gave much thought to it, but Terumi wouldn't have been so blatantly straightforward if that was his _actual_ intention from the beginning. "It's hard to interpret your eagerness to see me naked as anything else."

"I told you it's not about _you_!"

"My point exactly."

God, why was this man so hard to figure out? If Terumi didn't want to talk, he was lectured. If he said exactly what he wanted, Relius would still jump to conclusions. Really, what else could he possibly do?

"And_ why the hell _did you_ comply_?!" That was the one thing Terumi truly didn't get. Everything else was still Relius Clover being Relius Clover, so it got a pass, but _this_? It just _didn't make any damn sense_. "Shouldn't you have, just, _walked away_ like you usually do?!"

Relius leaned in a little closer. His fingertips on Terumi's chin felt warm. His breathing was warm as well, Terumi could feel it in his skin. His annoyingly _soft_ skin. "I only walk away when you try my patience."

"And _that_ wasn't 'trying your patience'?" Terumi honestly didn't get that idiot. He'd always get annoyed with the most stupid shit, but in a situation like this he was completely _fine_? How come? "I really don't get you sometimes."

"The feeling is mutual." Relius replied, letting go of Terumi's chin. The cool air soon touched the skin the warm fingertips left behind.

In the spur of the moment, Terumi held Relius' arm firmly and didn't allow the masked man to move away. This unexpected act brought an unsure expression to Relius Clover's face.

"What is it, Terumi?"

Terumi himself wasn't sure how to reply. He had no idea what he wanted out of this, but he wanted _something_. Without thinking too much about it, he decided to go with the flow. "I didn't tell you to stop, did I?"

What's with the silence? "No. Indeed, you did not." Oh, sure, _now_ Relius looked annoyed by it. Too goddamn _late_, buddy. "But you did say this wasn't your intention."

"Yeah, but if you were gonna do it anyways, then why stop at this?"

It was the first time Terumi honestly smiled today. It was still the usual broad grin, but he couldn't help but feel good about it. Getting up from the examination table, Terumi pressed his body against Relius'. It was just another one of those strange _physical_ feelings.

"So? What are you waiting for?"

Terumi didn't know what to do with the hand that wasn't holding Relius' arm, so he decided to lay it over the masked man's chest. It was, as expected, very warm. The light movement from the breathing was also easy to feel.

"I really believed for a moment we could leave it at that." Relius Clover admitted with a sigh. Terumi laughed.

"Nope. You started it." And now Terumi himself was a bit curious about it too, so there was no escape for the masked man. "Now you gotta _finish_ _it_."

It was clear from his expression that Relius Clover was cursing the moment his perverted mind jumped to conclusions, and it served him right. Terumi could feel this was going to be fun. "May we at least change locations? Hazama is bound to—"

"_Relius_." Terumi cut the masked man's sentence with the same ease he'd cut through anything else with his knives. Letting go of the masked man's arm, Terumi wrapped his own around the other's neck and pulled him closer. "I don't give a _damn fuck_ about that."

It was _his_ time to try the kissing.

* * *

Panting. "_Haa_… _Haa_… How's _this_?"

"Very average."

"Oh yeah? I'll—_Ah_—show you then…!" A gasp. One loud huff. "_Haa_… How about—_Mmm_—_now_?"

"You lack experience."

"Oh, shut the hell up you lousy—_Hmm_—_fucker… Haa_…! _Fuck_, this is…! _Ahh…!_"

The serpent dug his fangs deep on the flesh of his ensnared prey.

A grunt of pain. One push. "Don't bite me."

An unpleased moan. "But it feels _good_."

A caress between lips. "Then use less force."

"Why?"

"Because it hurts."

"Isn't that the point—Whoa!" Another push. A change of power. "What are you—_Ahn!_" Moaning; Loud, shameless pleasure. "_Relius…!_"

The puppeteer played with the parts of his new toy.

Kisses. Small suctions on the pale skin. "The point is pleasure."

"But… _Haa_…" Gasping. Short of breath. "I felt—_Ah_—good…"

"Pleasure for _both_ of us."

The serpent wrapped his prey tighter around his body.

A confession. "I don't know how to do that."

A whisper. "I know you don't."

One kiss. Intrusion. A fight for control. "_Mmm_…!" Moaning. Release. Relief.

A defeat. One unsatisfied sigh. "Already?"

"It's not… _Haa_… my fault." Relaxed limbs. "You're too good…"

"Unlike you, I'm trying."

"Well…" Huffing. A small dizziness. "You win. Do whatever you want."

A long pause. "Pardon?"

"Just do it. Put it in or whatever. Use me however you like."

"That's not what sex is, Terumi."

"Oh yeah? So what am I supposed to do? Please _you_?"

Silence.

"Wait, do I _actually_ have to do it?"

"Yes."

"Oh, for fuck's sake…!" A growl. One deep sigh. "_Fine_, I'll _do it_."

Shifting. A return to equal balance. "Do try to remember it's not about you."

"_Do try _to shut the hell up."

Quietness. Expectancy. A curious gaze.

Hesitation. A touch. "Do you want help?"

"I don't _need_ help, you _ass_." Caressing. A mere imitation. "Like _this_, right?"

"…Yes."

An uneasy attempt. Fingers exploring exposed skin. No words. A slight blush.

The serpent grew a little confidence.

"…!" A small grunt. A few twitches.

A wide smile. "Huh." Touching. Sucking. Biting. Licking. Pinching. _Playing_. "You're too quiet."

"Why would I…" A supressed gasp. "Be loud?"

"It would help to know when you like this kinda stuff."

A huff. "But you… 'don't need help'… right?"

"Heh. I guess I don't." A closer embrace. One pleased grin. "You'll complain if I do it wrong, right?"

A tight grip. Burning skin. "Only if you… mess it up badly."

"Then it's fine."

The puppeteer carefully guided his new toy to act as he preferred.

Teases. A few jumps. Quiet laugher.

A connection between mouths. A change in pace. A blur of feelings. The climax.

A break. Closure. "_Haa_…" Panting. "This is nice…"

"What is nice?" A risk.

"You." A miscalculation.

A crack on their walls. A lonely soul; the hateful void. Yearning. Escapism. Consonance.

* * *

Relius Clover heard the door of his laboratory open, but he did not look away from his computer. As the footsteps approached, it was easy to recognize the presence that intruded his workspace. The Engineering Colonel silently waited until there was no doubt that he was going to be bothered.

He could somewhat make the outline of the lean man's shadow over his shoulder. "I'm working."

The declaration was met with silence for once. Usually, Hazama would give a snappy reply before introducing the recent news. Not that Relius cared much for them right now. It wasn't yet time, so surely the Captain had no urgent matters to report…

These thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pull on his cape. Before Relius Clover could react, his mouth was shut by a pair of soft, cool lips pressing against his own. Soon enough, a forked tongue aggressively made its way inside.

Getting his bearings back, Relius pulled on the man's hood and firmly returned the gesture. Terumi eventually broke the kiss, pulling away with a wide grin.

"Now that's a _proper_ greeting." Terumi replied with the usual cheerfulness, letting go of the cape and sitting on the arm of the Colonel's chair. "You really thought you could chase me off like _that_?"

Relius Clover adjusted his mask and resumed focusing on his own matters. "I mistook you for Hazama."

"What, you mean he's enough of a chicken to run away if you growl at him?"

"No, but he bears in mind not to overstay his welcome." Relius sighed as Terumi brazenly slipped out of the arm of the chair over to his lap. They shifted a bit until there was some sort of compromise. "I have to finish this. Stay put or I'll toss you out. "

"Try me. I'm not going _anywhere_~" The hooded man declared with a smile, resting his head on Relius' shoulder and proceeding to play with the buttons of the Colonel's shirt. "What're you working on?"

"Some small preparations. Nothing you'd find exciting." Relius Clover felt his collar open and a pair of cool lips touch the now uncovered skin on his neck. "Do hold yourself back."

"I'm just teasing you." Terumi bit down on Relius' neck. He then proceeded to slowly lick over the mark and lightly kiss the skin. It wasn't exactly unpleasant or particularly painful, but this wasn't the proper time for such unsightly acts.

Luckily for the Colonel, the other didn't escalate things any further. Terumi's touch was light, and he stopped fumbling with Relius' clothes after unbuttoning half of his shirt. When Relius Clover spared a glance at him, he found the hooded man resting on his shoulder, eyes closed and a smug, pleased smile on his face.

"Do you trust me that much?" The question slipped out before Relius could contain himself.

"Huh?" Terumi opened his eyes. "The hell did _that_ come from?"

It was hard to pinpoint what exactly bothered Relius Clover about that entire situation. "You just seem to be very comfortable."

"Well, yeah. Why the hell wouldn't I be." Terumi was very straightforward at avoiding the actual question. Relius' doubt turned into curiosity as he gazed at the ghost. Terumi didn't like that very much. "Got anything else in your mind? _Keep it to yourself_."

He was truly a bratty spectre. "I'm almost done." Relius Clover couldn't help but notice Terumi's smile widening.


End file.
